For more than 80 years, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has alleviated the suffering of individuals, families and communities affected by both natural and humanmade disaster.

UMCOR journeys with communities throughout a disaster’s cycle. It focuses on disasters that overwhelm a local community’s ability to respond, such as storms and flooding, earthquakes, fires, volcanoes, war and civil unrest.

Through a strong network of worldwide partners, UMCOR quickly assesses needs in the wake of disaster. UMCOR comes alongside communities at their invitation and encourages their involvement in and ownership of their recovery. UMCOR works collaboratively with local partners to connect survivors to the help they need to rebuild their lives.

From initial relief efforts such as distributing food, water, clothing and hygiene items, to long-term recovery projects like home repair, case management, psychosocial support and restoring livelihoods, UMCOR’s partners select beneficiaries based on need and vulnerability as opposed to other categories such as gender, race or religion.

In 2024 and 2025, UMCOR has provided US relief with the Northwest and Los Angeles wild
fires, hurricanes Helene, Ernesto, Debby, and Beryl, as well as flood and tornado recovery in Missouri and North Georgia. UMCOR has additionally provided disaster relief in the Philippians and Africa.

UMCOR’s ministry would not be possible without the support of those who give generously of their time and resources. Donations to UMCOR allow them to respond quickly and effectively to disasters as they arise. Your gifts this month will help underwrite UMCOR’s administrative and operating costs. This offering allows UMCOR to use 100% of all funds given to humanitarian response and recovery efforts directly to communities in need.

Together, we can alleviate the suffering of those affected by disaster, bringing hope and healing to communities worldwide.

*During March, our Mission collection will be going to UMCOR. We are asking you to go the extra mile and give an additional $12.00. This extra giving will be used to purchase the supplies and pay for shipping for an UMCOR Health Kit.  We will be putting the Health Kits together on Sunday, March 30th. You can also donate on-line. Missions Team will purchase the supplies and have them ready for assembling. There is a tremendous need for Health Kits …from North Carolina to California.

March 23, 2025 9:30 am Worship Service

Gathering

Prelude
Cynthia Hibbetts

Welcome
Rev. David Petty

Crossing the Threshold

Over the Threshold
Rev. David Petty

Leader: The 13th century Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, said this: “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.”

Sung:
Open my eyes that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

As we continue our worship series this Lent and consider what it means to be a “purveyor of awe,” we focus on one of the most important elements for curating a life of spiritual depth: curiosity. The ancient poets of our faith and the mystics of old wrote prolifically about “seeking” as a spiritual attribute. Faith is not about certainties; instead, it is about taking the stance of humility that we cannot know everything and that the spiritual quest is what it means to be faithful: to be on a quest to discover more and to experience more of the holy in our lives. In a time when so much emphasis is on what we know, we remember in our Lent journey that it is what we don’t know that is most valuable, for discovery and staying curious is a condition for awe.

Sung:
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart,
I want to see you
I want to see you

The element of curiosity is linked to wellbeing of all kinds–spiritually, mentally, creatively. Awe-filled experiences are curiosity-boosters. Play, imagination, experimentation, and even simply slowing down to “linger longer” as we engage with the sights and sounds and smells of our ordinary surroundings can add to the amount of awe in our lives. Curiosity resists easy labeling and classifying; rather, it invites us to deeper discovery about life, faith, and each other. Let us rise in body and/or spirit and pray:

People: Awe-inspiring God,
we come together this day because we need to be reminded
to see through the lens of curiosity.
Too often we focus on being right instead of being curious,
and this closes the door to deeper relationship and understanding.
Open us to perceive anew.
Inspire us to receive our surroundings with awe.
Forgive us when we allow fear to curb our quest for greater understanding.
Be with us on this journey
as we seek again to marvel at your works.
 
Sung:
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

The path is ever unfolding before us. We are invited into the seeker’s journey at any moment. God forgives us. Jesus embraces us. The Spirit enlivens us. We are whole. With awe, we accept this belovedness. And all God’s people say, “Amen.”

*Greet Your Neighbor – Passing the Peace of Christ

Mystery Box

*Opening Hymn
Seek Ye First
UMH #405

1. Seek ye first
the kingdom of God
and his righteousness,
and all these things
shall be added unto you.
Allelu, alleluia!

2. Ask, and it shall
 be given unto you;
seek and ye shall find;
knock, and the door shall
be opened unto you.
Allelu, alleluia!

A Word of Inspiration

Contemporary Reading
Lu Petersen

Reader: Our first reading is a contemporary one–an excerpt from Scott Shigeoka,
author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World:

“We need to embrace what I call ‘deep curiosity.’ This is the kind of curiosity that invites
us to use it as a force for meaningful connection and transformation. This is what
strengthens our relationships to ourselves and each other.”

Ancient Reading

Excerpt from Proverbs 2

Reader: The Book of Proverbs is part of an ancient “wisdom tradition” of writing. In this
biblical book, the poet personifies Wisdom and invites us to seek her out–in essence, to
let our curiosity be a motivator for searching the awe of God. Hear now an excerpt from
Proverbs 2.

Incline your ear to Wisdom,
and take her truth into your heart.
For if you yearn for insight
and cry out for understanding,
if you search for it as you would for silver,
and dig for it as you would for buried treasure,
you will understand what [awe] of YHWH is,
and discover how to truly know God.

Approaching an Awesome God
Rev. David Petty

Video

Holy and Living God, we approach this time of prayer with curiosity about your world.
With all our senses, we open to you.

Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love others as you perceive and love
us. We imagine in our mind’s eye now the people in our lives, the people of our
communities, and the people of our world. Each of them is beloved by you, and this
alone creates awe in us. We especially lift up those who need our prayers in this
moment… For all these people and those we name in our hearts,

People: Hear our prayer, Awesome God.

Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love your creation as you perceive
and love it. Each strange and new species, each surprising wild flower, each ant
carrying a load ten times its weight reminds us that our curiosity is fed in so many ways.
You are making all things new all around us. Help us to care for the nature around us.
This week, we name…For all these places, creatures, and lifeforms, and those we name in our hearts,

People: Hear our prayer, Awesome God.

Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love life as you perceive and love the
life you have given us. Open us to greet each new day as if there is something new to
learn and experience so that we might stay curious and love discovery along this
journey. Slow us down in this season of Lent so that we might savor anew the gift of life.
We pause in this silence, setting intentions of awe for the week ahead.

Silent Prayer, The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer
   
Our Father
who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy Name;

Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth
as it is in heaven.

Give us this day
our daily bread,
and forgive us
our trespasses,

as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
Lead us not
into temptation
but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom,
and the Power
and the Glory forever.
Amen

Prayer for Illumination

Leader: May the words of my mouth,
People: and the meditations of all of our hearts
All: be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our rock and our redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Message
Curiosity
Rev. David Petty

Lu Petersen

Offertory
Sanctuary Choir

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Rev. David Petty

*Doxology
Praise God from Who All Blessings Flow
UMH #94

Praise God, from whom
all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures
here below: Alleluia! Alleluia!
 
Praise God, the source
of all our gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ,
whose power uplifts!
 
Praise the Spirit,
Holy Spirit!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!

*Closing Hymn
Be Thou My Vision
UMH #451

1. Be thou my vision,
O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me,
save that thou art.

Thou my best thought,
by day or by night,
waking or sleeping,
thy presence my light.

2. Be thou my wisdom,
and thou my true word;
I ever with thee
and thou with me, Lord;

thou and thou only,
first in my heart,
great God of heaven,
my treasure thou art.

3. Great God of heaven,
my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys,
O bright heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart,
whatever befall,
still be my vision,
O Ruler of all.

*Benediction
Rev. David Petty

And now may you go forth remembering Meister Eckhart’s words: “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Be a purveyor of awe this week. Inspire others with your insatiable desire to know them beyond the surface. Know that the reward of awe is yours as you invite curiosity to live and breathe new life in you. Be a “purveyor of awe,” curating a life of spiritual depth that inspires others to join you on the journey. May the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of Awe, the Holy One-in-Three, be with you now and throughout these days, Amen.

Postlude
Cynthia Hibbetts